Environmental Laws and Regulations Flashcards
7 cards from real Environmental Compliance Inspector practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Environmental Laws and Regulations flashcards as text
When EPA issues a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), what is the difference between a 'primary' and 'secondary' standard?
Answer: Primary standards protect public health; secondary standards protect public welfare including ecology and visibility
Primary NAAQS are set to protect public health with an adequate margin of safety, while secondary standards protect public welfare including crops, vegetation, ecosystems, and visibility.
Under RCRA, the 'Land Disposal Restrictions' (LDR) program requires that hazardous wastes meet treatment standards before land disposal. What is the rationale for this requirement?
Answer: To minimize the toxicity and mobility of hazardous waste before it contacts soil or groundwater
LDRs are based on the principle that land disposal of untreated hazardous waste poses unacceptable risks, so treatment reduces toxicity and mobility before constituents can migrate to soil or groundwater.
A company discovers that a chemical it has been manufacturing for 20 years presents an unreasonable risk to human health. Under TSCA Section 6 as amended by the Lautenberg Act, EPA can:
Answer: Prohibit or limit manufacture, processing, distribution, use, or disposal of the chemical
TSCA Section 6 authorizes EPA to take regulatory action including prohibition, limitation, or restriction on manufacture, processing, distribution, use, or disposal of chemicals that present unreasonable risk.
The Clean Water Act's Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program addresses water bodies that fail to meet water quality standards. What does a TMDL calculate?
Answer: The maximum amount of a pollutant a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards
A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum pollutant load a water body can receive from all sources—point and nonpoint—while still meeting applicable water quality standards.
Which of the following describes an 'imminent and substantial endangerment' authority that allows EPA to act quickly without normal rulemaking procedures?
Answer: Section 7003 of RCRA and Section 106 of CERCLA, providing emergency response authority
Both RCRA Section 7003 and CERCLA Section 106 grant EPA authority to seek immediate injunctive relief or compel response actions when there is an imminent and substantial endangerment to health or the environment.
Under the ESA, 'take' of a listed species is prohibited. Which of the following is included in the definition of 'take' under Section 9?
Answer: Harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect
The ESA definition of 'take' is broadly defined to include harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect listed species, or attempt to engage in such conduct.
A manufacturing facility discovers it has exceeded its Title V operating permit emission limits. Under the Clean Air Act, which action is the facility most immediately required to take?
Answer: Report the deviation to the permitting authority and EPA as required by the permit's deviation reporting conditions
Title V permits include deviation reporting requirements that typically require prompt notification of the permitting authority when emission limits are exceeded, with specific timeframes for deviation reports.